Coffee?
by Spannersx
Summary: No longer a one shot because I'm weak. Alicia never stopped working but she also never worked for Will. What happens when they bump into each other 18 years after leaving Georgetown? Also I miss Will and Alicia ... so here they are.
1. Chapter 1

**AN - there may be some errors as I wrote this on my tablet which is harder than I first thought. It's probably a one shot. But I may change my mind. Hope you all had a happy holiday!**

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><p>The first thing he noticed when he entered the dimly lit coffee shop was the abundance of people. All kinds of people. All revelling in the hit of caffeine that they hoped would get them through the day. He sighed - a little over dramatically - and joined the long queue. As he stood impatiently in line, he let his eyes trail over the people standing in front of him. A tall man shuffled restlessly from one foot to another, sighing in frustration. A shorter and undeniably rounder man held a briefcase and checked his watch intermittently, prompting Will to do the same. At this point he realised that he was going to be late for <em>another<em> meeting, but ultimately decided that turning up without his caffeine fix would be detrimental to everyone involved. Continuing his glance down the line, his eyes fell upon a woman talking animatedly in her phone. His mind flew through the reasons why he should not listen, but he quickly disregarded all reasoning as he realised that with his close proximity, he really had no choice.

"Seriously Owen? I do not need your help to-" he watched curiously as she glanced around, before lowering her voice and finishing her sentence "get laid." Will couldnt help the small, quiet chuckle that fell from his lips. He let his eyes wander appreciativly down her body and couldn't help but agree; she wouldn't need anyone's help to get a man. From her perfectly styled hair, to her designer heels ... she was a vision; and that was without having to see her face. His amusement blocked the familiar feeling he had felt from the voice he was listening too. He watched as the woman raised a slender hand to dark hair and raked her fingers through softly. "Owen, if I wanted a man, I would go look for one. Don't you have have something more important than prying into my sex life to do? Like I don't know ... your job." And then it happened. She laughed. And it was loud and boisterous. More drunken sailor than elegant woman. It was also everything he had missed in the long years since he had last been close to the enchanting woman before him.

"Alicia Cavanaugh." He almost whispered.

_ The party was loud and busy. Filled with eager law students all trying to let loose one last time before the hard work set in. His eyes made an inquisitive trail around the pool, seeking out what he believed were the most attractive women. The women he would no doubt, be talking to later on in the evening._

_He took his place a few paces back from the edge of the pool, preparing himself for what would be his 6th cannonball of the night. Just as he was readying himself to start his run off, a noise penetrated his senses. A laugh. A laugh he would not soon forget. His head shot up - almost of it's own accord - instantly trying to find the girl this laugh belonged to. And then he found her; head thrown back, mouth realising more laughs and smile firmly placed on her lips. His eyes raked down her body. The royal blue of her dress made her pale skin seem porcelain. Her dark hair was curly - wild - and untamed. She was breath taking. As his eyes moved back to her face, he instantly realised that her dark eyes were watching him. A small smirk placed firmly on her lips. He felt his lips rising slowly into a smile of his own, until a force hit him from no where, charging him into the pool. _

_As his head finally broke the surface, his ears were filled instantly with the laughter that had filled the poolside. Clearly, everyone had enjoyed the spectacle. He raised his hand in a wave, before bowing dramatically. He looked over to the friend who had tackled him in, shaking his head and chuckling slightly before turning to the side of the pool, ready to climb out. A pale hand reached toward him and his eyes moved from the feminine hand, to the face it belonged to. And he stared._

_"Need a hand?" She smirked slightly._

_The mystery woman. She was laughing again; this time at him. He was dumbstruck. He realised he had been staring and mute for a moment too long when he looked back to her face and noted that one perfectly styled eyebrow was raised questioningly. He shook his head, cleared his thoughts and took her hand, climbing out of the pool._

_He chuckled to himself quietly before flashing his most dashing smile. "Will Gardner." _

_She smiled slightly, eyes filled with mirth "nice to meet you, Will Gardner."_

_And with that, she turned and walked away. After a short while he realised he was surrounded by friends, but still looking in her direction; still yearning to know more about her ... everything about her. _

_"Alicia Cavanaugh." He turned abruptly to the unexpected voice that had sounded from beside him. A student he had met earlier in the party pointed not so discretely in the mystery girls direction. "Her names Alicia Cavanaugh."_

_"Alicia Cavanaugh," Will whispered, a soft smile laying softly on his lips._

When he looked back up, he was staring straight into her eyes. Eyes that displayed every emotion she felt. Her lips pulled upward into a large smile and her head cocked to the side adorably.

"Will Gardner."

He struggled to find the words to form an elegant reply. A simple "hi" slipped from his lips. He watched curiously as she held a finger up to him, as if motioning for him to wait a minute. He listened intently as she ordered her coffee - the same one she always ordered - and then continued to order his. She turned to him, smiled and motioned for him to follow her.

"I assumed you still ordered the same."

"You assumed correctly." He smirked at her and followed dutifully as she made her way to a table, placing her briefcase by her side and taking a seat. She smiled up at him, "are you in a hurry or do you have time?"

He had a meeting, but as if he could deny her. He had seen her a handful of times over the years, but mainly in court; never for friendly conversation. Without any consideration to the meeting he would be missing, he shot a quick text to Diane and took a seat opposite Alicia, with a grin set firmly on his face.

"I have time." He watched her smile tentatively, "how have you been?" Her smile faltered slightly and his mind immediately flashed with the images that had been plastered all over every news outlet for the past few years. "I'm sorry, I-" she waved a hand dismissively, cutting him off before he could finish his apology;

"It's fine Will." Clearly catching the apprehensive look on his face, she smiled slightly, "seriously, it's fine." She sighed softly. "The news has died down, my divorce was finalised, Zach and Grace are well ... teenagers." She scrunched her eyebrows together and Will chuckled. "My firms finally out of the red, my mother is engaged for the 6th time and I got a dog." She smiled and nodded, indicating that her story was over and he tried not to let his thoughts linger on the fact that she was no longer married. "And what about you? How has your life been for the last 18 years?"

His eyebrow furrowed momentarily, trying to find a way to explain his existence in a way that didn't make it seem as though he were a playboy who's married to his job. But one look at her smile and he remembered how understanding she always was. How she always took the time to listen. How she never judged him.

"I work ... a lot. That's pretty much what my life has revolved around. We're expanding to New York and LA so I've been travelling a lot. Diane - my partner - is going out on a limb supporting me with it, and probably hates my guts a little." He chuckled to himself and looked up to see a large grin on Alicia's face, her eyes twinkling slightly. "What?"

"I'm proud of you Will." He raised an eyebrow questioningly, prompting her to continue. "You did what we always said we would do. Maybe not in the way we said we would do it." She chuckled and shook away the memory he realised she was thinking of, "but you really did it."

He grinned back at her, unable to contain his glee at being complimented by the woman he looks for in all others. "You did it too Leesh." The nickname slipped out before he had a chance to think about it, he hesitated, but continued as he watched her try to hide a smile behind her coffee cup. "Maybe not in the way we planned; Gardner, Cavanaugh and associates wasn't it?" She giggled before correcting him. "Cavanaugh first, Gardner. I dont believe for a second that you don't remember that." She pointed a finger and winked at him playfully as he shook his head and continued. "As I was saying, you did it too. You may be doing it a little later than you had imagined, but you're still doing it." She nodded apparently digesting his words, and they both smiled into their coffee.

_The books lay scattered around the small room. The claustrophobic feeling was unavoidable. Every few minutes he let out a loud, exaggerated sigh, gaining a glare from Alicia and causing him to chuckle. This happened multiple times before he looked up to a large, heavy looking book flying in his direction. He didn't have time to duck before it hit him square between the eyes._

_"OW!" He rubbed a hand over his face. "Was there really any need Leesh?" He looked up to find her rolling on the floor in a fit of hysterical laughter. He forgot his pain. He forgot pretty much everything in that moment; except how truly remarkable she was. _

_"Oh Will, that" another laugh "was so" a louder laugh, "funny" a laugh and a splutter. _

_He tried to scowl at her, but found it impossible. "That may be ... but you could have found a better way to get my attention you know." _

_"Maybe so. But I'm quite sure that it wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining." He did scowl at her this time. "Oh come on you Will you deserved it. You've been interrupting my studying with your childish sighing for the last hour."_

_"Well I'm bored."_

_"You sound like a petulant child."_

_"Maybe I am a 'petulant child'."_

_She raised an eyebrow and chuckled to herself. "10 years from now, we'll be successful. We'll be partners at our firm, we'll be rich and happy and won't be studying in small cramped apartments because we'll be rich enough to afford mansions to study in." She nodded to herself with a smile on her face. "We'll be the best lawyers in whatever state we end up in. But to get all that ... we have to actually study."_

_He was too busy focusing on the fact that she had entwined their futures so closely together to form a reply. The goofy smile stayed on his face._

_"Gardner, Cavanaugh and associates." He nodded as if it were set in stone as she raised a hand to her chest and gasped in mock horror._

_"Cavanaugh, Gardner and associates or you go it alone." She raised an eyebrow daring him to fight back. He smlied to himself._

_"Whatever you want Leesh."_

"I guess sometimes it's not how I imagined it to be." He had to rack his brain for a while to try and remember the path their discussion was on, "I always thought everything would have calmed down by now. I never imagined that I'd have a start-up with a relatively baby lawyer." He smirked at her and she chuckled. "But he's great. Carys fantastic. And pushy enough to get me to do what I need to when I need to do it. Especially when it gets to the grey areas." He watched her grimace slightly. She always had trouble with the more seedy areas of the law. Dancing on the lines of technicalities. "But if I had to be doing this with someone other than my original partner" she nodded to him and he felt his heart expand slightly, "then I'm glad it's him."

He nodded and chuckled at her again. When LG had let Cary go, he knew he had gone to work at the SA's office because they had a lot of cases against each other for a while. However he had never expected a merger between Alicia and Cary. It had never really occured to him that being in close proximity to Peter also meant being in close proximity to Alicia. They were an unexpected and formidable team.

"Ah Cary. How is my old junior associate? Does he miss his old boss?" His expression was full of mirth.

"The old boss who fired him and kept a woman who was evidently way under his level?" She raised an eyebrow. "I think he's getting by just fine."

They both laughed. It was loud and carefree, like it always was between them.

"He was quite angry at you, you know. But of course, us beating you numerous times in court helped him to get over it." He watched as she laughed at the grimace on his face, knowing how he always hated to lose.

"If I remember correctly, _you_ only beat me twice. How is it that we've only faced each other three times in what? 18 years?"

"Because unless a case was something that I felt somehow connected to emotionally, I'd pass it over if you were opposing council." She must of caught the scowl on his face as she continued immediately. "You know I always hated being against you. All through Georgetown we were a team. I still hate the thought of us being against each other."

He smiled finally, slightly appeased by her reasoning. "Your first case aagainst me as Cavanaugh, Agos and Associates you scared the hell out of me." She laughed loudly and as she struggled to form words through her laughs, she used a hand gesture to indicate that he should continue. "You were just so fierce. Everything I had, you had something to counter. I'd never seen you so aggressive before."

She sighed loudly. "My divorce was finalised that day." She chuckled somewhat darkly. "I guess I took my anger out on you."

He nodded in agreement. "That you did." She smiled and he decided to move to safer territory. "How's your family?"

She smiled brighter than she had since they had sat down. "They're great. Zachs getting ready to head to college, Grace is wise beyond her years and my mother's travelling with her latest lover." He waited to see if she would mention her brother. Smirking and cocking his head to the side, he asked;

"And your brother? How is Owen?"

He watched as her eyes scanned him inquisitively, his smirk growing widely. A flush started to work it's way from her chest, up her neck and onto her cheeks. She covered her face with her hands and peeked through her fingers at his still smirking face.

"You heard? On the phone?"

He nodded and laughed loudly as she groaned in frustration.

"Oh God. That is so embarrassing."

"Don't worry. I agreed that you wouldn't need his help in that department before I even realised that it was you I was looking at and listening too."

The words were out of his mouth before he even thought about what he was saying. He felt a blush start to crawl its way across his skin. Although the thought that they now matched in their embarrassment was reassuring.

"You always were a charmer Will Gardner." She finished the statement with a wink, and before he had the chance to respond, her phone was ringing, dragging them away from whatever moment may have been created.

"Uh huh, sure, yes, no problem at all Cary, I'll be there in 20minutes."

She smiled apologetically and he waved a hand in dismissal.

"Duty calls."

She laughed and stood up, starting to gather her belongings as he did the same. And then she stopped abruptly to look at him.

"We should do this again some time." She rolled her eyes at the smirk on his face. "I am very aware that that sounded like a line."

He laughed. "It did. But we should. What should we do?"

He watched her look around the room and smile, "Coffee?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Same time next week?"

She smiled widely at him and then did something entirely unexpected. She pulled him into a tight hug, wrapping herself up in him. He breathed in her scent whilst he had the chance. He felt a warm breath close to his ear, "I've missed you, Gardner." And then she pulled back and smiled at him.

As she started to walk out, she turned and smiled at him over her shoulder. "Same time next week." He nodded, still at a loss for words. And she was gone.

He stood still, stuck to to the spot, smiling to himself; lost entirely in the moment.

"I've missed you too, Leesh." He whispered to himself. His words getting lost in the hustle of the small coffee shop.


	2. Chapter 2

She climbed in the elevator and took it straight to the top floor. She liked what the small space could give her; A couple of minutes of solitary, a couple of minutes alone with her thoughts. A couple of minutes to bask in the light that Will Had given her that afternoon. She sighed as the buzz indicated she had arrived, and she stepped off into her offices. The hustle was nearly always overwhelming. It was usually only as it edged closer to midnight that it really seemed to calm down, only then did people seem to realise that the day was over and that they could actually go home; actually have a life outside of their work.

She walked purposefully to her office and threw down her belongings. Before she had a chance to think, Cary was there, alongside Robin.

"Alicia! We need you to meet with a potential client."

She eyed them both suspiciously. Why did they seem on edge over a client meeting? "Okaaay. And may I ask who this meeting is with?" They both looked uncomfortable, throwing looks back and forth in a way that they clearly believed was discrete.

"Colin Sweeney."

She laughed. She laughed loudly. "Oh come on. You've got to be kidding me?" Their serious faces told her they weren't. "Colin Sweeney? Wife killer Sweeney?" And then it hit her. "Lockhart, Gardner client, Colin Sweeney?" They both nodded with pleased but uncomfortable looks set clearly on their faces. "Why do I have to meet with him?"

"He requested you."

"Excuse me?"

"When he called he asked for you personally."

She sighed. They were in no position to turn down a client. But a client this high profile? A client who was belonging to her old friend/new acquaintances firm? She sighed again ... a client who could potentially bring in a lot of money? "Fine. I'll meet with him."

After Robin left, they sat in Cary's office planning cases, organising her Sweeney meeting and looking at potential new hires. Running a firm was nothing like she had expected, but she still found it exhilarating; even the mundane was somewhat new and exciting. Looking over at Cary, head down scribbling notes on some papers, she smiled. It was so alike to how she used to spend her nights with Will. They'd snack, bicker, study, bicker some more. But it was light hearted, friendly, comfy.

_Will._

Since leaving the coffee shop he had been on her mind. Playing in a loop. There was no denying the connection she still felt to him. His smile, his laugh, his smirk. She was akin to a school girl with crush. But hadn't it always been this way? Hadn't Will always made her feel young and naive? She smiled to herself and pondered the idea of getting to know this Will. The Will who ran a law firm. The Will who took no prisoners. She didn't know him at all anymore. Did she want to? Of course she did.

"Hey, Cary?" He looked up, waiting for her to continue. "What was Will like when you worked for him?" He raised an eyebrow in question, obviously not expecting the question.

"Gardner?" She nodded. "didn't we have this discussion when I was working for Peter, Alicia? He was a jackass." She chuckled softly but sobered at the very serious look on his face. "What's this about?"

"I saw him today. We went to Georgetown together, did I ever tell you that?" He scrunched his brow together and shook his head. "We were pretty close." She shrugged nonchalantly but soon felt confusion and discomfort when she saw the downtrodden look on her partners face.

"Are you thinking about jumping ship?"

"No! Cary, no. Don't be ridiculous. This firm is my baby. I would never leave, especially not when we're finally doing so well." She was pleased as a look of calm finally settled on his face.

"Good. Because we're better than LG. They may have money to expand and hire countless lawyer's, but we're smart. We have lawyers that are smart. We're going to be stronger than they are."

She smiled widely. She admired that he always had a good outlook, no matter what situation they were in. "I have no doubt, Cary."

They both turned back to the paperwork in front of them, working diligently for what felt like a longer time than it actually was. She looked back up at him, catching his attention and again causing him to look up in question.

"Do you still have his number? From when you worked there?"

He chuckled and shook his head, reaching for his phone and typing out a message. "I'm starting to think that this is about more than two old friends catching up."

"Its nothing more." She shook her head, but was unable to hide the small blush that was appearing on her face. Her phone beeped with a message from Cary containing Wills number and she smiled down at the phone.

"Sure. But sleeping with the enemy Alicia? Really?"

She chuckled somewhat darkly, "he's not the enemy, he's just the competition."

She winked and left the room.

She sat in her car, readying herself to leave, looking down at a blank text addressed to him. To Will. She had no idea what to say. Should she be witty? Should it be a generic 'hi it's Alicia. This is my number'? She had no idea why she was finding it so hard. She gave herself a pep talk. Typed out a message, and made her way home. As soon as she pulled up at her apartment, she checked for a reply; finding nothing. But what was he supposed to reply to 'hi, it's Alicia. Thought you should have my number in case we need to reschedule next week.' It was straightforward. It didn't particularly need a reply ... but she wanted one.

Her apartment was loud. The sound was flowing through the corridor and hit her as soon as she stepped off the elevator. She knew there was only one plausible reason for it. Only one person who could be responsible. Her suspicions were confirmed when she opened her door to find Owen dancing around the room, puppy in arms, followed by her teenage children, singing loudly and obnoxiously.

She rolled her eyes at the scene in front of her, but couldn't help but smile.

"What a welcome home this is." She raised an eyebrow as they all froze and locked eyes with her before bursting out laughing.

"Big sis, welcome to the party."

"And what, may I ask, is it in honour of?" They all looked at each other sheepishly. All seemingly reluctant to reply. "Come on. Spit it out."

"Finding you a boyfriend." Zach. He never was good at keeping secrets. When he was little she only ever had to give him a look before he would admit to stealing cookies, or breaking a vase. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the situation she was currently facing.

"You've all gone mad." She raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. "How's the plan going so far?"

"Well it's only just been developed, mom. Give us some time." Grace smiled devilishly and she couldn't contain a laugh. She moved to her children, kissing each on the head, then to Owen and hitting his.

"When did you two grow up and start worrying about my love life, huh? Was it when this knucklehead got here?" She used her thumb to point over her shoulder to Owen.

"Well, Zach's going to college in a few weeks. And I'm not far behind him. We don't want you to be lonely mom."

She melted. How could she even be mad when her kids were still that adorable? "Babies, I will never be lonely, not with this pup - who we still need to name - and my interfering brother. You don't need to worry about that." She smiled reassuringly. "Pizza and movies?"

They were all huddled together after eating far too much pizza. The first movie had been a hit, the second however was not holding their attention , meaning there was more talking than watching happening. Her phone buzzed on the table and every set of eyes turned to it. Owen reached out and grabbed it with a mischievous grin on his face. Which only grew when he read the message.

"Who is Will and why is he asking you if you're a stalker?" A blush grew on her face, and it was not missed by her brother. "Is this why you've been checking your phone every 5 minutes?"

"Oh. I have not."

"You kinda have, mom."

She rolled her eyes at them, "just give me the phone." She could feel them all watching her as she read the message and tried hard to bite her lip and suppress the grin.

_How did you get my number? Are you stalking me? My coffee shop, my number ... am I to expect you at my dry cleaners next? Maybe my drug store?_

She looked up, already knowing that her family were still watching her intently. She turned back to the film, knowing that eventually one of them would crack.

It was Grace.

"Well? Who was it?"

"A friend. From Georgetown."

Owen laughed and she turned to look at him questioningly. "You didn't have friends in Georgetown sis. You had books." They all laughed at her expense and she threw a pillow at him, choosing not to respond verbally. "Wait. Will? Is it Mr Georgetown?"

Her eyes widened almost comically. "You remember that?"

He laughed loudly. "How could I forget. You wrote about him like a lovesick teen."

"I was not that bad."

"Yes you were. Didn't you kiss him?"

Her kids eyes had widened and they were eating popcorn as though what as playing out in front of them was better than the movie playing on the screen. It probably was.

"We kissed once. It didn't mean anything. We were friends."

"Mhmm. I kiss my friends all the time." He raised an eyebrow mockingly and she heard both of her children laugh. The jibes continued until it was time for bed.

She settled on her bed, trying to get comfy before taking out her phone and re-reading her message from Will. She smiled bashfully. Was he flirting? Or was it just a friendly message? She'd never know unless she replied.

_Ah, now wouldn't you like to know Mr Gardner_.

She re read it, hoping it held an essence of flirtyness without being to obvious; subtlety was key. She sighed. It had definitely been too long since she had done this. She was getting impatient waiting for a reply after only a few minutes. She was pretty sure she would lose it if she had to wait too much longer. However, all thoughts ceased when her phone made that all too familiar buzzing noise.

_Actually, yes. I would like to know that when I leave work tonight I won't be followed._

She laughed quietly to herself before checking the time on her phone; 10pm. She couldn't help but wonder if all his days were this busy. Did he always spend all his time in work? Or was this just a one off?

_Still working, Gardner? Are you always this married to the job? Or are you just playing superman this evening?_

It was barely a couple of minutes before another reply came through_._

_I'm always this busy. Superman's job is never done._

She laughed loudly to herself and sat considering a reply. She could flirt, she could play it off, she could try to be witty back ... It really didn't matter. All that mattered was that for the first time in a long time she was enjoying whatever was going on. She was actually appreciating something with another man; something that she couldn't deny doubting she would find again. It was intriguing and exciting. But it was also horrifying. It was nerve racking. She took a deep breath.

_Superman huh? Well then I will leave you to it. Goodnight, Gardner. Serve and protect. _

It was the first night in a long time that she was going to sleep with a smile on her face. She was going to sleep happy. She could only hope that their encounters that day had the same effect on him; that he was sat in his office smiling. The thought almost made her giddy.

it wasn't the alarm on her phone that woke her the next morning; but it _was_ her phone. Without opening her eyes fully, she threw her arm to the side and felt around for the device that was disturbing her. She opened one eye and looked at the screen. Both eyes immediately bolted open when they registered the name her message was from; Will.

_Good morning, Alicia. Just a quick message to say that I am up early as I am in court against someone from your firm today. Hope they are ready. I have my cape on_.

She placed her phone down on her chest, threw her arm over her eyes and smiled in what she would describe as a content excitement. She felt her phone buzz again.

_ps, I hope I didn't wake you. Although it is past 7, so you really should be up. _

She laughed. And it felt freeing. She typed out a quick reply and climbed out of bed to carry out her usual morning routine; making breakfast, showering, getting ready, sending the kids out to school. It was always the same. She walked back to her room, grabbing her coat and phone and instantly noticed another message. She smiled, assuming it was from Will and grimaced slightly upon realising it was actually from Cary.

_Sweeney called and is coming in at 10. Get here ASAP._

She sighed. This was one meeting she really was not looking forward to. She didn't like defending the guilty. It was her job of course, so she would do it. But that didn't mean she had to be comfortable with it.

They spent the next few hours planning the meeting to the last detail but she knew it was pointless. Sweeney had a reputation as a loose cannon. He liked to cause trouble, he liked to be surprising.

"Mrs Florrick."

His hand reached out for hers and she was reluctant to take it. But she sucked it up. If they wanted his business, she had to make this meeting a success. She plastered on a smile. The one she used to use whilst standing by Peters side. And hoped that it would work.

"Mr Sweeney. It's actually Miss Cavanaugh now." She didn't miss the smirk etched on his face. She knew that he was aware of her divorce. All of Chicago was. "If you'd like to follow me, we can get this meeting underway."

It started smoothly. They discussed her firms plans of action for his on going cases, they discussed who would work on each case. They stayed away from his past discretions; until he inevitably brought it up.

"Are you uncomfortable, Alicia?" He smirked and it made her skin crawl.

"No, Mr Sweeneey. I'm working." She watched him study her and she instantly felt uncomfortable. She shifted in her chair slightly, hoping it wasn't noticeable.

"You think I did it." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. So she didn't reply and chose instead to raise an eyebrow. "You think I murdered my wife Alicia?"

She didn't hesitate. "Of course." She held his eye contact refusing to break first. He laughed and it was chilling.

"And yet you're still willing to represent me?"

"I have a new firm. I'm in no position to turn down clients."

She held his eye contact again before he broke it through his laughing. She looked out of her office and caught Cary throwing her a bewildered glance. She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

The rest of the meeting went off without a hitch and he was firmly decided to sign to their firm. She felt a mixture of feelings. Happy to have a new client, disappointed that it was a murderer, guilty that they had taken him from LG. Owning a firm was definitely not always pleasant. When he left, she took herself back to her office, in desperate need of a moments solitude. She could detect a slight commotion from the hall, and reached her head around her door to listen. Carey had beaten Will. And he was obviously very pleased with it. She looked to her phone and smirked.

_Is your cape defective?_

The reply was almost immediate. She chuckled.

_I had a feeling that was coming. But hey, sometimes even the superheroes lose._


	3. Chapter 3

He sat in his office with Diane and Kalinda, scotch in hand, faces passive. It had been a trying week full of unhappy clients, hard cases and difficult opponents. He could practically hear the clogs turning in Diane's mind.

"Is there really no way we can win this? We can't lose Bishop as a client. This week is diabolical. We haven't gathered enough support for the crash case and Sweeney met with Cavanaugh, Agos and Associates last week. We can't lose him as well as Bishop, they're two of our best clients."

Both women continued to talk, both seemingly unaware that he had already zoned out at the mention of Alicia. He had no idea she had met with Sweeney. Did she know he were his client? Is that why she had been texting him all week? To distract him? To allieviate her guilt? He hated that the thought was even in his head. But this profession they were in blurred lines between personal and professional all the time. It was cut throat.

"Will? Are you with us?"

He pulled out of his reverie, "yeah, still here. Just ... Strategising."

"I think we need to meet with Sweeney. Talk him back to us. Make sure he knows how many of our top people he has on his case." Will nodded absent mindedly. "I also think one of us should contact Cary or Miss Cavanaugh." He instantly perked up at the mention of her name.

"What? Why?"

Diane chuckled. "I see you're still not to fond of Cary?" She raised an eyebrow, not waiting for an answer. "They're representing the train crash victims and their family, we're representing the employees and their family. We should propose to merge suits. Play nice for a while. You never know, they may grow to like us and stop stealing our best clients. We can't be the only ones suffering from this poaching war we're currently in."

"Okay. But we should approach Ali-Miss Cavanugh. She doesn't have a history with us ... With the firm. She may be more willing to come to some sort of agreement." She nodded sceptically. "I didn't leave things on the greatest terms with Cary, she's our best shot."

Diane was nodding in agreement and he turned his attention to Kalinda, who was watching him - almost analytically - with one eyebrow raised. She was fantastic at what she did, but her ability to read people could sometimes be unbelievably unnerving. She smirked before turning her attention back to Diane.

They continued talking for an hour. Running through cases, talking about potential new clients and discussing the tactics they'd use in the potential meeting with Alicia. A knock on the door gained all of their attention and three heads turned in sync toward Wills Secretary standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"Mr Gardner, I have um, an Alicia on the phone. She said I should only patch her through if you weren't busy um ... saving the universe or prancing around in a cape ..." She made quote marks with her fingers to show she was repeating exactly what Alicia had said. She blushed in embarressment at the message she had relayed and shifted from one foot to another as Will chuckled to himself, ignoring the raised eyebrows of every woman in the room.

"Patch her through, you can leave then, we're going to be here a while."

He stood and walked to his desk, ignoring the curious stares of the women around him.

"You know, you could have called my cell."

_"I did. You didn't answer and I got impatient."_

He chuckled, "so you call my office and embarrass not only me, but my Secretary too?"

_"It's a skill I have gained over the years. And it gave me a laugh, sue me."_

"I may do just that." He listened to her laugh happily on the other end of the line. "So why are you bothering both myself and my staff? I'm a very busy man. I'm running a law firm here you know?

_She laughed heartily, "because my week has been all kinds of awful. Can we go to a bar tomorrow? I need tequila ... not a latte."_

"My week hasn't been fantastic either, tequila sounds almost too perfect."

He looked toward his partner, noticing her raised eyebrow and decided to bite the bullet. "Hey, Alicia?" He heard something that sounded like a mumbled response, "could you come to my office tomorrow beforehand? We have something we'd like to discuss with you. We could go straight from here to a bar?"

_"Sure that sounds fine. What's it about? Am I in trouble?"_

"I find it hard to believe that you ever get in trouble." She laughed down the phone, agreeing profusely with his observation. "It's just about a case we both have in comman. So 5pm okay with you? 28th floor."

"T_hat's fine Will. See you then."_

She hung up and he leaned back in his chair, smile etched firmly upon his face. He stood and walked to his previous seat as if the phone conversation had not taken place. He could feel two sets of eyes burning into his skin; waiting patiently for some kind of explanation.

"Will, who was that?"

He had a feeling she already knew, but he answered anyway, "Alicia Cavanaugh." He watched Diane nod, and try to formulate a response. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, failing to form a reply. He tried hard to hold in an amused chuckle.

"And why is Alicia Cavanaugh, from one of our biggest competitors, phoning you and making barbs about you being some sort of super hero?"

"We're friends."

He almost laughed at the look on his partners face, Kalinda however remained stoic. A little too silent. He had a feeling she knew a lot more than she let on.

"Since when have you and the ex first lady of Illinois been _friends?"_

"20 years or so give or take a few years." He glanced at the disbelieving look on her face. "We haven't really connected in about 18 years though."

Diane splutterred slightly, making Will laugh and even causing Kalindas uninterested facade to waver. "Connected? Will are you sleeping with her_?"_

He rolled his eyes feeling slightly perturbed. "No. I'm not. Not that it would be any of your business if I were. We're just reconnecting. And she'll be in tomorrow to meet with us. Both of us."

"Fine. But do not put this firm in jeopardy because you want a ... friend." With that she removed herself from his office.

Before Kalinda could do the same, he stopped her and immediately noted the smirk set firmly on her lips.

"What do you know and how do you know it?"

She laughed, in an entirely amused way. "I know that I'm with Cary. And that we talk. He talks about work. He talks about Alicia." He raised an eyebrow at her, prompting her to continue. "He talked about how Alicia was eager to get the number of his old boss and how she was full of questions about what kind of boss you were. He was worried she was thinking of jumping ship." She raised an eyebrow and smiled. "But I'm pretty sure it's not that at all."

He shook his head, laughing. "No it's not. Thanks Kalinda."

And with that, she left the office; leaving him alone with his thoughts. Alicia thinks about him. And not only that, but she was talking to people about him, almost like she were trying to figure him out. Trying to find out if he's still the man he was all those years ago.

She was thinking about him.

The next day passed quite quickly. He had a good day in court, only received a low amount of judging looks from Diane and David Lee only threw one fit. It was a good day. And it would soon be better as in just 10 minutes, Alicia would be there. He watched the clock and leaned back on his chair, spinning slightly. He closed his eyes, deciding that time may move faster if he avoided watching the clock. He whistled to himself, lowly, thoughts of Alicia still plaguing his mind, when a low, raspy chuckle sounded from the door way. He almost fell out of his chair; the chuckle grew louder.

"So this is what the top lawyer and 16th most eligible bachelor in Chicago does in work? This is how he got his reputation? I'm impressed."

He wanted to form a witty retort, but anything he could come up with died on the tip of his tongue as his eyes raked hungrily over the woman before him. She started to unbutton her red coat, revealing the black body skimming dress that lay beneath and he lost all conscious thought; his mind trailing off almost without his knowledge.

"How official is this meeting? Is it desk serious? Or sofa casual?"

The question pulled his eyes away from the path they had ventured down and back to her face and he prayed that she hadn't noticed where his attention lay. "Sofa should be fine Alicia." She nodded and he moved to sit opposite her as both Diane and Kalinda entered his office. Diane with a look of concern and judgement, Kalinda with a frustratingly knowing smirk.

He made the introductions and smirked at Alicia's "ah so your the Kalinda I've heard so much about." It was interesting to see Kalinda falter slightly. It wasn't often that anyone could have that effect on her. Of course, Alicia wasn't just 'anyone'. But she shrugged it off and sat before much thought could be given to it. Diane got straight to the point before any niceties could be exchanged.

"We heard you're representing the victims of the train crash case and since we have the staff, we feel as though combining our suits is the best call for all involved. Combine man power, up the ask?" He watched as Alicia nodded along.

"That sounds like a reasonable proposition. Although, I'll obviously have to discuss this with Cary, he's part of the case to as I'm sure you are aware." She raised an eyebrow at Diane, almost as if she were silently questioning why he weren't included in the meeting.

Diane nodded, "yes I assumed you would like to discuss this with him before coming to an agreement." She shifted somewhat awkwardly on her chair. "It was also brought to our attention that someone from your firm met with Sweeney last week, and" "I did. I met with him." Diane looked both shocked by the interruption and by the fact that it was Alicia who had met with him. "Yes well, we've been left somewhat in the dark over this. It came as a shock to us ..." Will almost chuckled at Alicia's raised eyebrow and disbelieving expression. She never liked being backed into a corner and he had the distinct feeling that Diane was about to learn that fact about her. He caught Kalindas eye and sensed that she also had a feeling that a storm were brewing.

"Excuse me, Ms Lockhart, but if a potential client phones my office and asks to meet with me, and me specifically, I am not going to turn them down; even if he is a psychopathic murderer with no boundaries. It is not my problem if they are unhappy at their current firm, it is however up to me to make them as happy as I can at my firm if they so choose. I'm not trying to be unprofessional here," her eyes travelled the room, lingering longer on Wills. He nodded and smiled. "Really I'm not. We all know how this business works. Clients leave one firm and make their way to another. And if someone wants to talk to me, I will not say no. And neither will my partner."

Diane shifted slightly, looking almost uncomfortable, but gained composure immediately. "I am not trying to suggest that you have done anything untoward Miss Cavanaugh. I am just trying to say that if we are going to work together for what may end up as an extended period of time, that we should try to keep the waters calm." Will watched her eyes flicker to him briefly. "I am aware that both you and Cary have personal relationships with people in this firm, we don't want to jeopardise that, which is why we think this is for the best."

Will sucked in a breath, looking toward Alicia as she digested the thought of their friendship being used as a bargaining chip.

"Our relationships with people here have nothing to do with our business and I can assure you, Ms Lockhart, that we will be professional and dedicated to this case for as long as it may play out. However, I will talk to Cary about this. Obviously, this isn't a decision I can make alone and I really do feel as though he should have been included in this meeting." She moved her eyes to every person in the room, discreetly but obviously judging them, before continuing, "I'll contact Will with an update as soon as I get one."

She nodded at will and his partner, "Ms Lockhart, Mr Gardner. Nice to finally meet you Kalinda."

She turned, pulled on her coat and buttoned it without so much as glancing in anyone's direction. Before she left, she looked back at Will with a smile. "Tequilla needs to be delayed a few hours, Gardner. I'll call you later?" He nodded.

"Sure, Alicia. Later." She smiled and swiftly left the building; leaving a trail of awe and confusion in her path. Will was still smiling to himself when Dianes voice cut in to his thoughts.

"I feel like we were wrong in our assumption that she would be easier to convince than Cary." Will nodded. "She's good." Wills eyebrow shot to his hairline.

"Was that a compliment?"

"Oh shut up ... Gardner." She mocked, making Will laugh.

"No you're right, this may be more difficult than we thought. But I'm not surprised. Alicia never did like being backed into a corner. And I think that was what we were doing."

Diane nodded in agreement. "Cary. We should have gone to Cary." Will laughed shaking his head and leaning back in his chair; taking a minute to let his mind wander before heading home.

His apartment was quiet. Too quiet. He looked around taking in the white walls, the clear surfaces ... The lack of a personal touch. It was a shell. A constant reminder that he hadn't built his own family; that the family he did have were in another state. He sighed and reached for his phone. He tapped it a few times trying to talk himself out of texting her. Patience was never his speciality. Saved from his wandering thoughts, the device vibrated in his hand. He read the message, jumped up, grabbed his keys and was out of his house in minutes.

_I'm in the bar across the street from your office. Get here soon or I start without you._


End file.
